Apr 13 Spirit Level

It's the latter part of this statement of Paul's that's more important than the former. Because things and activity, with reference to God are always what move us along in life. It's not the mere cessation of sin for its own sake that warrants anything more than a little peace of mind. Peace of mind that can quickly turn from peace to pride. Without further ado:

"And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;" (Ephesians 5:18)

You don't have to go home but you can't stay here

"Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts. Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more." (Proverbs 31:5-6)

Sanctuary. A place of calm and rest and reconnoiter. If you can't find it in a church, where are you going to find it? I find that church sometimes has a sterile, if uncaring, atmosphere. I can't center it on any one individual as each one taken out of context provides decent enough conversation and maybe fellowship. The thing about the addictive personality though, is none of that polite "water cooler" chattiness does anything to bring it to the surface. If anything, a person struggling with an addictive substance will only suppress more the need to vent and as such, may be driven to abuse something that may be perfectly fine in moderation.

"For I am full of matter, the spirit within me constraineth me. Behold, my belly is as wine which hath no vent; it is ready to burst like new bottles. I will speak, that I may be refreshed: I will open my lips and answer." (Job 32:18-20)

All Elihu wanted to do in the above case is talk. Granted, he may not have possessed the "wisdom" he thought he did. But the sentiment remains. Turn it around and think about the patience we show those who, if goaded just a tad, would be inspired (and in turn validated) to pour out what God had put on their heart. We're not meant to keep it in beyond a certain point. It could end in turning to vinegar.

Contrast the term scalar from Physics, with vector. It might be abstract, but not really. All "scalar" means is it scales, simple as that. It gets bigger and goes higher and...not much else. It increases in mass, in other words. Your church might be growing. Tithes and gifts could be pouring in and attendance is burgeoning and all along, the depth remains the same. Vector means it's going somewhere though. All that mass has a point (no pun intended). More of an arrow, really. If you look at the Cross, from a simple symbolic stance, God came down. He intersected with us, yes. But it's also meant to branch out. That's what vector refers to in this case. As Paul says, "the Head (Jesus), from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God." (Colossians 2:20) The "increase of God" is what we're looking for. And if we're increasing on the inside and have no means of expression because each of us is focused elsewhere--a thousand outward points--we're going to burst.

Bubbles in the alcohol

"how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?" (Luke 11:13b)

That's pretty much what a "spirit level" is. A bubble suspended in liquid (alcohol or otherwise) to accurately determine whether or not something's level or square. There are those (myself included at times) who are bubbly by nature but have no reason to express that in a place that feels suppressive for whatever reason.

The Holy Spirit levels the playing field. The more of Him you possess--like a light growing brighter--the more you're able to be patient with others. It frees you up to interact with any and everyone He leads you to. When Paul speaks of being "filled with the Spirit", he's speaking from experience. God can intimate to the heart of anyone you talk to, just exactly what they need to see that they're validated and respected. And loved.